6 Things That Take Diving Lembeh from Good to Great

Scuba Diving holidays are unique because they include a lot more factors than a standard ‘flights and hotel’ holiday. There are inherently more components such as a quality dive center, accommodation that meets your needs after a day of diving, plentiful dining to refuel on, facilities for photographers, suitable dive sites, and a commitment to marine conservation. These are what we consider to be the minimum requirements for a good scuba diving holiday. Now let’s look at how we incorporate these factors at Lembeh Resort to take your stay and diving with us from good to great!

Dive Center, Services and Facilities

Like the majority of resorts on Lembeh Island we have an onsite dive center, boats, and dive guides, but here’s where we take it to the next level:

All of our Dive Guides undergo rigorous training which includes marine biology training from our in-house marine biologists and underwater photography training from our on site Photo Pro. We don’t leave anything to chance and our dive guides all receive regular ‘critter testing’, to ensure their knowledge of the species found in Lembeh continues to develop. Our team has a combined total of over 70,000 dives in the Lembeh Strait and they use their marine biology knowledge and experience to lead you to the best possible critter sightings. For those who want an even more exclusive diving experience, our dive center also offers private guides and private boats.

We offer more than a regular dive schedule in the Lembeh Strait, our options also include mandarin fish dives, night dives, blackwater and bonfire dives, reef diving in the north of the Strait, day trips to Bangka Island, or join us as we circumnavigate Lembeh Island itself.

Of course, the safety of our guests is of paramount importance and that’s why all dive guides, boat crew (and resort staff), undergo regular rescue training which includes first aid, CPR, oxygen administration, and dive accident management procedures.

 

Accommodation at Lembeh Resort

We offer 4 different accommodation options to give you the opportunity to choose what feels right for you. Our popular Premium and Hillside Luxury Cottages are spacious and beautifully appointed. The Premium Luxury Cottages boast sustainable construction and modern yet cozy tropical living spaces close to the water’s edge. The Hillside Luxury Cottages have the most impressive views over the Lembeh Strait due to their elevated positioning. Wind your way up the hillside steps and stop to admire the view along the way – these are ‘must-have’ camera moments – especially at sunset. Take a look at our Luxury Cottages in the gallery below:For those who prefer a more exclusive stay, Lembeh Resort is the only resort in Lembeh to offer a private villa which offers 180 degree panoramic views, private pool, and on-call butler service. View our Cliffside villa:

Dining

Our kitchen team works closely with our European food and beverage consultant to carefully curate menus that are packed with flavor and based around locally grown ingredients. We support local producers wherever possible to support the local economy and maintain our commitment to sustainability.

Our full board accommodation includes three delectable meals a day. Breakfast is served buffet style with both international and Asian options available. From our jamu shots, fresh fruit, and homemade breads and pastries to cooked-to-order English breakfast items, there are plenty of options to prepare you for an incredible day of diving ahead.

Lunch includes both buffet and a la minute dining while dinner is a la carte with choices for all four courses. Vibrant vegetarian and vegan options are available as well as gluten-free, and we pride ourselves on catering to all dietary requirements with flair.

 

Photography Facilities

We understand underwater photography and videography, it’s in our DNA. All accommodations have ample charging points – although we doubt that you’ll need them. Our camera room has individual workstations which are yours for the duration of your stay. Each station has its own charging points, desk lighting, and neoprene mat. Outside of the camera room is a power dryer so you can use a targeted stream of air to dry inside those hard to reach places. After diving, our dive guides will rinse your gear in our gear wash tanks and there is a separate tank specifically for camera equipment before you return it to your workstation.

Our Photo Pro can be found in our Backscatter Authorized Photo Center – the only one of its kind in Asia. The photo center offers camera and accessory rentals and sales as well as being able to carry out minor repairs on gear to ensure that you can continue shooting during your stay. Our 3D printer is also able to manufacture new parts and custom made flip diopters.

The photo center assistants are available for advice and assistance as needed and our photo pro offers underwater photography and videography courses that can be tailored to match your requirements – whether you need assistance with lighting underwater, achieving more artistic effects, or editing, we aim to take your imaging to the next level.

 

Lembeh Strait Dive Sites

Just as a good diving holiday needs to include good dive sites, an exceptional diving holiday needs to offer exceptional dive sites – and that’s exactly what we have here in Lembeh! The Lembeh Strait’s sheer abundance of biodiversity and rare critters has led to it being named the “Critter Capital of the World” where every dive reveals countless unique finds. If you want to see the weird and the wonderful, and dive the best muck diving sites in the world, then the Lembeh Strait is the place to be.

Highlights of Lembeh dive sites include 8 different species of frogfish, 12 species of octopus, numerous crustacean species that cannot be found anywhere else on earth, 3 species of pygmy seahorse, countless nudibranch species, and new discoveries are continuously being made. Some of Lembeh’s most iconic species include the hairy frogfish, Pontohi pygmy seahorse, wonderpus and mimic octopus, mandarinfish, rhinopias scorpionfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, blue ring octopus, Banggai cardinalfish and the list goes on.

Lembeh’s classic muck sites feature gentle slopes of volcanic sand scattered with sponges, algae, rubble and debris. If you aren’t already in the know, Lembeh will convince you that the most beautiful animals are sometimes seen in the strangest habitats!

Lembeh also offers many combination sites which are a mix of muck and reef diving but if muck is not your thing don’t worry because Lembeh also has stunning reefs, vibrant corals and intriguing topographies.

 

Sustainability

Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond the standard efforts such as not serving plastic straws and reducing single use plastics (although we do these too!) We are constantly trying to identify areas in our operations where we can reduce emissions, plastic, water and non-renewable energy. It’s a never ending process. When new technologies develop and become available in Indonesia, areas we previously thought we couldn’t improve on, we suddenly can. We are constantly researching new green innovations, revising our methods and implementing changes.

We firmly believe that sustainability encompasses more than just environmental issues and we work alongside our local villages to find economically sustainable options which empower all members of the community, through education and providing practical and workable solutions, regardless of age, gender and ethnicity.

We believe that actions speak louder than words so here are some of the sustainable steps and projects which we have undertaken – and continue to take on a daily basis at Lembeh Resort.

Sustainable Supplies

We don’t just accept things as they are, instead we demand certain criteria are met by our suppliers and these include, no individual plastic wrapped items, a reduction in all plastic packaging, no plastic bags, locally grown produce and locally manufactured goods. If we have to import items we opt for local importers so that we can continue to support our local communities and businesses. Our extra virgin coconut oil is produced right here on Lembeh Island.

Plastic Reduction

Across all of our internal operations we impose on ourselves the same stringent criteria regarding plastic that we expect from our suppliers. We use glass straws instead of plastic straws, we do not use Styrofoam lunch boxes, plastic bags, or excess packaging. We buy in bulk to reduce packaging and we use traditional methods of wrapping including banana leaves for gifts. Within our gift shop, we sell only products produced in Indonesia and we are working towards a sustainable range of toiletries which currently includes bamboo toothbrushes and palm oil free soaps. All toiletries provided in our accommodations and products in our spa are also palm oil free.

Resourceful Accommodation

Our newest cottages are our Premium Luxury Cottages – and we broke the mold in their construction. The Premium Luxury Cottages are the result of extensive research into how we could develop sustainable accommodation while maintaining our high standards of luxury and comfort. The cottages combine modern energy saving technology and green materials with traditional flair; AC efficiency has increased, water collection and solar water heating systems are in place and our new faucets reduce unnecessary water waste. Energy efficiency has been carefully considered to minimize our carbon footprint.

Educating Future Generations

In keeping with our founder’s belief that education should be made available for all children in Indonesia, Lembeh Resort provides school supplies, backpacks, and school uniforms annually to children whose families are in need. On average we support 60 – 80 children each year from two different villages.

Cleaning House

Lembeh Resort and Dive Center Staff take part in regular cleanups organized through Lembeh Foundation and our Dive Guides are committed to collecting marine debris independently. Mesh bags are available for guests to use any time they wish to do so.

Commitment

Lembeh Resort is committed to the United Nations Clean Sea Campaign and has pledged to uphold Clean Sea principles in all operations; we are a member of Longitude 181 and host regular guest presentations promoting responsible and sustainable tourism.

 

The Lembeh Foundation

Lembeh Resort is the founding resort member of the Lembeh Foundation. The Lembeh Foundation is an independent registered Indonesian charitable organization that is working alongside local communities on Lembeh Island to provide environmentally and economically sustainable solutions to waste management. The core aims of the Lembeh Foundation are to reduce plastic waste, provide education and economic benefits while improving the health and sustainability of local communities.

Lembeh Foundation is currently focusing on two major projects; the maintenance of our trash bank and the Green Library Learning Center – the construction of both of these was funded entirely by donations to the Lembeh Foundation.

 

Book Your Stay

If you are ready to take your next diving vacation from good to great, contact us and book your next stay at Lembeh Resort! We look forward to welcoming you to Indonesia.